Hitchin Wildlife

  Hitchin Cemetery October - December 2023 The back end of the year seemed a little wetter than average and various fungi were seen pushing up through the grass including many conventional parasol-shaped ones and also puff balls, which eject their spores from a little hole on top when hit by raindrops. Some of the cemetery fungi such as Parrot Waxcaps (not shown) are indicators of a good meadows which have been kept free from fertilizers, insecticides & weed-killers.   Late insects were taking advantage of the cemetery well in to November, such a Southern Oak Bush Cricket, found resting on a Beech tree trunk with its very long antennae (tricky to see in the photo). Also spotted was a very tiny Bark Louse found under a leaf, this is the sort of insect found in abundance but so small they are difficult for us humans to see and are the type of food that birds search for under fallen leaves all through the winter.  The seven bird boxes which were installed earlier in the year were chec